the PDX afterglow

We just got back from a trip to Portland, Oregon where my husband's cousin Tia got married to Ed under a big tree in beautiful Mt. Tabor Park. We met Ed for the first time at our wedding (9 years ago today!) and I couldn't be happier for these two. They are the sweetest, most genuine people you could ever meet. 

Tia wore the coolest shoes, and the tree was hung with paper lanterns and these wonderful fabric garlands. Oh yeah, and the wedding was perfect too. The reception featured belly dancers, handmade chocolates, food from Portland's amazing food cart culture, mangoes on a stick and Cornhole. Yep - pretty amazing.

The whole weekend had such a magical feeling about it. I don't know - Portland always does that to me. Is there something in the water? Because everything, and everyone I know there is just so amazing. It just doesn't quit.

This is the tree house in my aunt's back yard. My aunt who is hilarious, intelligent and wonderful and my cousins who do things like play the bass, and electric ukulele, and make art, and my uncle who designs wineries and rides his bike everyehre. Again, amazing! In addition to all of the fun family time, I got to meet up with the folks from Portland Center Stage who are also too cool for words, and quirky, and hilarious, and wonderful. And I finally got to meet my Art Director pal Buchino, (who also happens to be one of Portland's Best Bloggers) for the first time since we started working together two years ago. It was kind of like meeting a pen pal for the first time! Just another neat person to add to my growing list of friends in PDX.

I dunno, Portland. You wooed us pretty hard again this weekend. Time will tell if we can resist the crazy spell you put on us each and every time we visit.